In the late 1950s, Metr. Andrey petitioned to be accepted into the Russian Metropolia but had been rebuffed by them for unclear reasons, so in 1964, he petitioned and was approved by the Holy Synod of the Church of Bulgaria to be readmitted to the Bulgarian episcopacy and continue to lead Bulgarian Orthodoxy in America. One of his clergy, ArchimandriteKyrill (Yonchev), disagreed with his decision and was consecrated by the bishops of the ROCOR to serve as head of the Bulgarian Diocese in Exile. He had "considerable success in persuading several Bulgarian parishes to accept his authority, due in part to Metr. Andrei's advanced age" (Surrency, p. 95).

In 1976, Bp. Kyrill and his diocese broke from the ROCOR and joined the OCA, thus creating its Bulgarian Diocese.